American Television Alliance Condemns Scripps’ Blackout of 54 Local Stations on DIRECTV, Citing Broken Retransmission Consent System

Scripps Blacked Out 54 Stations In 36 Markets Over Record Fee Demands, Withholding Usual Access to NHL and NBA Championships, Local News from Millions of Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Television Alliance (ATVA) released a statement in response to Scripps Local Media’s blackout of 54 local broadcast stations from DIRECTV programming lineups. As of May 31, 2026, Scripps pulled its stations from DIRECTV’s streaming, satellite and U-verse services after demanding the highest retransmission consent fee hikes DIRECTV has ever received from a station group, affecting millions of viewers in 36 media markets across the country.

“Scripps is the latest major broadcaster to black out local TV stations in an attempt to extract higher fees, blocking signals and programming from dozens of communities while demanding steep retransmission consent increases that force viewers to pay more for the same ‘free’ programming,” said ATVA spokesman Hunter Wilson. “Scripps’ blackout underscores the broken ‘next man up’ dynamic in retransmission consent, where broadcasters push for exponentially ever-higher rates with little to no regard for actual market conditions, declining viewership or consumers’ growing outrage over the affordability of goods and services.”

The timing of the blackout is particularly troubling. In an effort to use high-profile programming to secure higher fees, Scripps is denying viewers access to essential civic information, news programming and major sporting events. The blackout comes as several state and local elections take place this June and coincides with the NHL and NBA Finals, which begin tonight, as well as the upcoming first FIFA World Cup on U.S. soil in 30 years, U.S. Open golf tournament and other sources of national pride.

Scripps’ blackout impacts DIRECTV customers in Baltimore, Boise, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lexington, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Omaha, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa-St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach, among others, disrupting access to ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, MNT and TMO affiliates.

In April, Scripps also pulled 40 stations from Comcast Xfinity customers in 19 of these same markets, leaving viewers without their usual service for more than a month.

For decades, broadcasters have been charging cable and satellite providers and their customers to access local stations, often forcing the removal of channels from TV lineups and blacking out content until TV providers agree to pay more. When blackouts finally end, consumers get their programming back, but often at a higher cost. American consumers continue to pay the price for outdated regulations, allowing broadcasters to continuously weaponize TV blackouts, deliberately targeting live sports, local news and other popular TV. 

ATVA stands ready to work with Congress to modernize dated regulations that turn sizable profits for broadcasters at the expense of consumers. To learn more about outdated broadcast regulations and their impact on the American consumer, visit https://americantelevisionalliance.org/about-the-issue/.

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